Effects of Euphorbia tirucalli latex on blood calcium and phosphate of the freshwater air-breathing catfish Heteropneustes fossilis

The effects of Euphorbia tirucalli latex on blood calcium and phosphate of Heteropneustes fossilis was investigated in this study. The fish were subjected to 0.8 of 96-h LC50 value of E. tirucalli latex (1.05 mu L L-1) for 96-h in a short-term experiment and 0.2 of 96-h LC50 value (0.263 mu L L-1) for 28 days in a long-term experiment. Fish were sacrificed after 24, 48, 72, and 96 h in the short-term experiment and after 7, 14, 21, and 28 days in the long-term experiment and blood samples were analyzed for calcium and inorganic phosphate. Acute exposure of E. tirucalli latex caused a progressive decrease in the calcium level after 48 h which persists till the close of the experiment. Phosphate levels remain unaffected till 48 h but after 72 h the levels exhibit a progressive decrease. Chronic E. tirucalli latex treatment provokes a decrease in calcium levels at day 7 continuing till the end of the experiment (28 days). The phosphate levels remain unaffected up to day 7, thereafter, levels decrease from 14 days till the end of the experiment.